Golden age in agriculture

By
ADAM HOLMES

THE Asian Century and Food Bowl to Asia were back on the agenda in Bendigo last week.

BRIGHT FUTURE: Premier Denis Napthine kept the "food bowl to Asia" idea at the front of mind during an address in Bendigo. Picture: JODIE DONNELLAN

A PROJECTED three billion extra mouths to feed in 15 years in Asia means the future is positive for Victoria's primary producers.

In his address to the Food Boom Summit in Bendigo, Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said the state was ideally placed to capitalise on the growing consumer class in China.

"There will be another three billion people in the Asian community in the consumer class who will be making a decision about purchasing food on the basis of variety, protein and clean green food," he said.

"It will no longer be on the basis of price or necessity.

"That is our market."

Central Victorian agribusiness leaders discussed the challenges facing agriculture industries in the coming decades as part of the forum on Friday.